Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand believes that one of his former teammates worked “harder” on the pitch than the likes of Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Rio Ferdinand was a key figure in Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United teams of the past and excelled in defence alongside fellow club legend Nemanja Vidic.
The 45-year-old former United defender lifted six Premier League titles, a Champions League and two League Cups during his prolific spell at Old Trafford.
During his time under Sir Alex Ferguson, Ferdinand shared the pitch with a roster of star-studded talent at United amid the Red Devils’ silverware success.
The TNT Sports pundit played alongside the likes of Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and Roy Keane at the Premier League club.
Ronaldo, who now plays for Al Nassr, has been widely admired for his elite mentality and work ethic after he shot to superstardom during his first spell at United.
Rooney has also earned high praise from his former teammates in the past, with the United legend praised for his dedication on the pitch and hard work in training.
However, even Ferdinand admitted that there is one former Red Devils teammate who may have worked harder than any other player on the pitch.
Ferdinand talks ex-Man Utd teammate
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Rio Ferdinand recalled his experience of playing with former Manchester United star Carlos Tevez under Sir Alex Ferguson.
Carlos Tevez signed for United in 2007 as part of a loan deal from West Ham and struck up a deadly attack force alongside Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo.
The 40-year-old Argentine lifted two Premier League titles, a Champions League and a League Cup before Tevez left Old Trafford in 2009 and signed for Manchester City.
Tevez went on to find success at United’s crosstown rivals, with the former Argentina international lifting both a Premier League title and an FA Cup with City.
During a conversation with City legend Vincent Kompany, who played alongside Tevez, Ferdinand raved about his former United teammate’s ability on the pitch.
“You mentioned his name there, Tevez,” he said, before adding: “I can’t speak to you without talking about Carlos.
“A wonderful player. A great guy. Quiet, but an animal on the pitch. Didn’t want him on my team in training, but in the game, come Saturday, there wouldn’t be many more picks before him.”
Ferdinand on Tevez and Man Utd training
Ferdinand was quizzed on whether he thought Tevez was bad at training, with the United legend claiming that his former teammate “managed himself” properly.
However, the footballer-turned-pundit added that Tevez could end up working harder than “anybody” during a match and was in awe at his “intensity.”
“He just managed himself in training,” Ferdinand continued.
“He just managed himself and didn’t exert any energy in training.
“Come to the game, he worked as hard, if not harder, than anybody and he had an intensity that was almost unrivalled.”
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